Looking for a Windows all-in-one utilities software is about searching the best combination between tools and utilities being offered, integration of all of these tools into its interface, quality of each tools, and the price of the entire package. These are the reasons we search for such software: To get all of the Windows optimization and tweaking tools in one place with extra additional shovel to dig more out of your Windows. Surprisingly, Iolo System Mechanics satisfyingly fulfills all of these needs although it still has some minor problems. Iolo has been in the industry since 1998, specializing for Windows utilities. System Mechanics itself has celebrated its 8.5 series. Inside, Iolo has stuffed all the tools you need to clean, tweak, optimize, and recover your troubled Windows. Nowadays, the market of Windows tools and utilities has been crowded with so many packages, high and low. Even security software publishers that are famous for their antivirus products like Symantec Norton and ZoneAlarm are already hot on their heels of integrating Windows optimization modules inside their latest products. In the low section market, there are registry cleaner software that only specialized in cleaning your registry. The problem is with its limited capabilities they are not as powerful as they tend to claim. In fact, lots of them related to internet scams. Big players in the industry usually release more-tools-packed software like Iolo with its System Mechanics. And for a while it has gained a good publication from the medias.
Iolo sells System Mechanics in two flavors: Basic and Pro version. Which one to choose? Hmm, it's hard to say. The basic version is not quite solid with the absence of file recovery which are already offered by its competitor. But still with $35 price tag, the basic version is the cheapest Windows Utilities Software you can get in the market. Diving into the package, System Mechanics has two flavors, basic and Pro version. Iolo sells the Pro version at $48.97 while the basic sells at 34.97. The Pro version offers four fundamental extra features that Iolo also sells separately namely Iolo Antivirus, Personal Firewall, Search and Recover, and Drive Scrubber. This pro package should be a better choice if you have not got any antivirus yet. With this package, it directly competes with Avanquest System Suite and Advanced System Optimizer (ASO). But it worth to mention that System Suite $59.95 price tag is way too high. In the other hand ASO price tag while $10 less expensive, but it only offers personal antivirus with less firewall protection. The basic version of System Mechanics plays direct competition with so many great products like TuneUp Utilities, Ashampoo WinOptimizer, Avanquest Fix It Utilities, and again ASO. But again with its cheaper price, its direct opponent is still ASO. While in features point of view, System Mechanics still lacks of many ability offered by other more expensive opponents.
Whoa! Antivirus plus firewall modules (left) are combined with a lot of Windows maintenance tools including file recovery (right) at $49 surely will make security publishers think twice before they jump into the competition. Norton 360 anyone? In the basic package, System Mechanics will help you optimize startup process and memory, cleaning up your registry, tweak your internet connection, clears up junk files, solving miscellaneous Windows errors including by creating bootable CD, customizing hidden Windows settings, and performs diagnostic of your system software and hardware information. The combination of all of these tools is great for optimizing your slow performing PC besides solving several Windows problems. Iolo claims that System Mechanics has more than 40 features. While this might be true in its own right, it seems misleading if we compare it to other competitors. Because what adds up the number might be just sub features that are packed into not more than 20 main features in total. Compare with WinOptimizer, ASO, or TuneUp Utilities, System Mechanics basic edition offers less features. You should upgrade to Pro package if file recovery and file wiper are important for you because these features are already come in bundle with the three competitor’s package.
What a Windows utilities software would be without a one click maintenance button? Thankfully, Iolo did not forget to include it inside System Mechanics, from a total system optimization and maintenance button (left) to individual aspects (right) like PC Cleanup and PC Repair. From the user interface point of view, System Mechanics is the most technical among others, giving you with lots of texts, less icons, and thus less intuitive. But Iolo has managed to simplify its presentation. For instance, you will be served with 4 main menus: Dashboard, ActiveCare, Tools, and Reports. Dashboard will leave you with instant information regarding your system health. This will gives you information such as how much registry problems you got and how much unnecessary files there are as well as quick access to fix it all. The second is ActiveCare, as its name it will give you the option to make every individual task runs automatically and inform you the status of your antivirus and firewall. If you had external antivirus then it will inform you as well. Next menu is Tools. This will give you access over main modules of System Mechanics like PC Accelerator and PC Repair as well as individual tools. Basically, this is the place when you want to pick a single activity instead of analyzing your entire system in the Dashboard. The last menu is Report which will inform you about technical information of your system and the record of optimization did by the software. Overall, the simple menu design should make up for its less graphical presentation. Comparing overall operation to other similar software, System Mechanics integrates all of its menu nicely. Like Tune-Up 1-Click Maintenance or WinOptimizer Quickscan, it gives you one-click access for all of its features. You can access this whether by pushing the “Analyze” button in the Dashboard or by picking “Start PC Total Care” up in the Tools menu. This aspect of instant access is very important because what’s a Windows utilities software does if all of the functions are not integrated very well? It worth to mention that some of its functions are already available inside Windows like junk files cleaner and hard drive defragmenter. Software like System Mechanic should add more value to it. By automating and integrating all of these tasks in one place does it exactly fill this value. But actually, System Mechanics does not only simplify Windows tools for general user but it also gives them new hope to cope with something that computer geeks can only do with more time and effort like with its registry cleaning and repairing ability. For those of you who are an average users with little time and knowledge and mind to dig deep into Windows utilities, then System Mechanics is for you. Another module System Mechanics offers for general users to even surpass the ability of computer geeks in repairing their Windows is Drive Medic. This module is basically a set of maintenance tools to restore and repair damaged hard drive, partition, and boot records in a case when you failed to boot up your Windows. System Mechanics help you by creating a recovery disk which can boot up your computer and run all of these recovery functions. If the problem is related to damaged partition or boot record, System Mechanics can easily repair the damage and rebuild the boot record so that you can start up your computer again. Although boot failure is caused by various reasons, System Mechanics do address an important point there by giving you very possible scenario of recovery. Putting System Mechanics on system performance impact, although it is quite soft on your system, you should choose ASO or WinOptimizer if you have inadequate system like an old desktop, a decent laptop, or a netbook. System Mechanics needs at least a 400 Mhz CPU, 256 Megabytes of RAM, and 30 Megabytes of HD space. It only supports Windows XP, 2000, and Vista. Despite that, tested on my laptop running on Intel Celeron 2 GHz, 1GB of RAM, and 160GB of HDD, it can run very well. Load times are shorter than TuneUp Utilities and opening between module is a brisk, not like TuneUp who needs extra process time. Overall, in the required specification system, System Mechanics operates very well although not as fast as WinOptimizer. As a summary, Iolo offer a very solid package inside System Mechanics both in basic version and Pro version with less price than most of its competitors. The real competitor within the price range is Advanced System Optimizer. And if you upgrade to their Pro package with additional antivirus and firewall among others, it will be your better choice than TuneUp Utilities and WinOptimizer at the same price range if you are also looking for a complete Windows security protection. Furthermore, with its $48.97 price tag, System Mechanics Pro version even makes Avanquest System Suite pale in comparison with a big price gap between the two.
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